The weather is warm, the sun is shining, and the last thing anyone wants to do is spend time in a hot, stuffy kitchen. But unless you have the willpower of Chris Hemsworth training to be Thor, it might be hard to avoid spring time temptations like hot dogs, potato salad, and ribs. Meal prep can help. By arming yourself with healthy food for the whole week, it’s easy to stay on track with your nutrition goals.

Classic beef stroganoff is a Russian dish made from sautéed beef and a sauce made from sour cream. It’s popularity spread around the globe, spawning many variations. The traditional American version also has onions and mushrooms sautéed in butter, and is served over a bed of egg noodles. It’s a hearty meal that’s especially comforting during colder months. But it’s rich, and loaded with calories. This Skinny Beef Stroganoff has the same savory flavor, but significantly reduces the fat and calories.

Well, let’s get a little specific. Imagine that you have a pretend scale that ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being hangry (that angry hunger because you waited too long to eat) and 10 being glutted (you ate so much that you need to unbutton you pants). Real physical hunger builds gradually and will eventually cause your stomach to growl; if you don’t eat when you’re truly hungry, your body will nag you until you do. Eating should happen when you’re truly hungry; that means your body should feel anywhere from hangry (0) to gentle hunger (4).The next time you feel the urge to eat something, here’s how to know if your hunger is genuine:

The desire to eat got stronger over a little bit of time.

Your stomach starts to growl.

Ask yourself: Will eating anything — but ideally something nutritious — satisfy you? Or will you not be happy unless you bite into that greasy or sweet snack? If it’s the latter, you’re not really physically hungry.

Wait about 10 minutes before you eat. If you’re just craving something, the desire will hopefully pass. Drink a glass of water, then wait a couple more minutes to see if you’re still hungry.

Check in with yourself before you start to eat, or, even better, when you begin to think about food. Ask yourself, “How hungry am I?” If you’re feeling peckish (5–6), you’re not really hungry… you’re just eating because it tastes darn good, that “can’t stop, won’t stop” feeling. We can get real honest and call that greedy eating. Any of you who grew up in a big family knows what I’m talking about. That gotta get-a-second-helping-of-mashed-potatoes pronto before that brother of yours packs it in first. That’s straight up greedy eating.

This is the healthy brownie recipe you have been looking for......Not only do avocados add a boost of healthy fats, they also intensify the flavor of chocolate and make these brownies ultra rich, and decadent. These gluten-free treats are so chocolaty and moist, you won’t even remember how healthy they are!

There are so many reasons to love this Portuguese-inspired kale and sausage soup. As with many soups, this recipe tastes even better on the second day. For that reason, we love this soup for meal prep. It makes enough for a whole week of lunches or dinners, and freezes well.

There’s no denying that a consistent yoga practice will help to strengthen and tone the body. Ever since this ancient Eastern practice became popular in America, people have been enthralled with the multiple physical benefits of yoga. Because the poses don’t use anything more than bodyweight, you never have to worry about getting too bulky.Yoga can create lean muscles that are long and strong. They also increase flexibility and simultaneously build strength. You may feel like you are elongating in every direction. One of the most exciting physical benefits of a modern yoga practice is how it transforms the arms.4 Yoga Poses to Build Strong Arms1) Downward Facing DogThis classic beginner pose may seem easy, but if you are practicing it the right way, it can be a key arm strengthener. As you spread the fingers wide and press your hands firmly into the mat, you are lengthening the spine and building muscle in the arms. To perfect the pose, externally rotate your shoulders away from the neck to create space between your shoulders and your ears. Slowly shake your head left and right to relax the muscles of the neck. Your hips should lift up and back while the heels gently press down toward the mat. Always breathe deep in this posture and never strain.2) Warrior IIEven though this is a standing pose and works primarily the lower body, the upper body component is not easy. After holding the arms out to the sides for a minute or so, the shoulders may feel a burn, which is sign of building strength. As you lengthen the arms, pull the shoulders down away from the ears. Maintain a long spine without overarching the lower back. Hold the pose for 60 seconds, then add more time as you build strength. Repeat the pose with the opposite leg.

3) Half Push-UpThis pose is the quintessential yoga strength pose. In a Vinyasa Flow class, we move the body through this posture over and over again, each time strengthening the triceps and shoulders. There is no denying that when practiced regularly, and with good form, this move will transform your arms.Start in plank position with your wrists just below your shoulders, your fingers pointing straight ahead, and your elbows close to your ribs. Take a deep inhale and on the exhale slowly bend the elbows and lower the body down until the elbows bend to a 90-degree angle. Keep the belly lifted and keep the body in a straight line, then push back up or shift the chest forward into upward facing dog. You may need to modify this pose by putting your knees down.

4) Reverse TableThis an excellent pose to tone the arms, and an amazing stretch for the front of the shoulders and chest. Getting strong while increasing range of motion is the name of the game in yoga and this move will do just that. Also, for those of you who sit many hours a day, practicing this pose is a great way to help counteract the effects of hunching over at your desk.Start by sitting on the ground with your knees up and feet flat on the ground. Feet should be hip distance apart with toes pointing forward. Bring your hands behind you with your wrists just under your shoulders and turn your hands out so that your fingers point to the sides. As you press into your hands and feet, lift your chest and hips up as high as you can without straining. The chin can lift, but to protect the neck, be careful not to drop the head all the way back.

Are you surviving winter? We're on the last couple weeks here.....Sometimes the only fix is some hot tea and a giant bowl of soup. Trust me, I know, with an autoimmune disease (hypothyroid), I'm always cold!May I suggest warming up with this 5-ingredient sweet potato black bean chili?I think it’s just what we all need and it's healthy. So, take that, old man winter!

My name is Molly and I love cheese. I’m also an a teacher, mom, wife, neighbor, friend, gardener and everything else. So you could say I’m a little busy.A year ago, I was a weight-loss newbie because I've always been healthy, active and mostly thin-ish, so after 3 kids and full time job, I didn't really know how to start and keep the extra 20 pounds off. I know that fad diets don’t work. Sure, you can go on a kale-and-quinoa bender to drop pounds fast, but you can’t keep that going forever. Getting — and staying — healthy and fit is about a lifestyle change, not “I’m not eating carbs this month!”So I’m here to tell you about that time I lost weight with Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix and more importantly, how I didn’t have to give up my cheese.

I found out first-hand why 21 Day Fix and all of Beachbody’s programs work: They help you lose weight and get in shape now AND give you the tools to stay that way for good.

How I Got StartedI didn’t have a huge amount of weight to lose, but I did want to start fitting in my clothes better and certainly stop the trend of of gaining 10 pounds every year. I’d never seriously tried to lose weight before; the most I had accomplished was meandering around the gym and going to some classes my friends invited me to. So, of course, I started eating lots of salad and taking a few classes at the gym. Done and done, right? Well, I did see a slight change, but I really had no idea what I was doing. I needed structure and a plan that would fit into my crazy-busy schedule: Enter 21 Day Fix.The first step was making myself a priority. I made a deal with myself: Get serious for 21 days and if the program didn’t work, then I’d never do it again.How it Worked

I followed the meal plan to a T, worked out every single day for 21 days (yes, that actually happened), and felt absolutely awesome.I loved the physical results, but 21 days of eating clean and focusing on my own health did amazing things for my mind. I was more motivated at work, felt great in jeans, and I was happier in general. And the most important part — I ate cheese almost every day.After one round of the program at 100 percent and two more rounds at 80/20 (80 percent eating clean, 20 percent eating what I wanted), I lost four inches and nine pounds, which looked more like 15. During those three months, I drank margs with friends, ate late-night chicken fingers occasionally, celebrated birthdays with pizza, and all the fun things I didn’t want to give up.That’s why the 21 Day Fix works — it’s about making sustainable changes in how you eat, not a crash diet with temporary results. You can get the body you want and eat your cheese, too. If you’re ready to lose weight the right way — and keep it off — here’s all the info you need to get started.

What IS Beachbody?

You’re probably thinking, “Hmm, isn’t that the company with the infomercials?” Yep, that’s the one.But here’s what you probably didn’t know: Beachbody is a fitness, nutrition, and weight-loss compan that’s been around since 1998. It has produced more than 400 workout programs with Super Trainers like Tony Horton, Shaun T, and Autumn Calabrese.It’s the company that created fitness and nutrition programs like P90x, INSANITY, CORE DE FORCE, and of course, 21 Day Fix. It’s also the birthplace of Shakeology, and my favorite, Beachbody On Demand, an online streaming platform.It’s changed millions of lives with a huge selection of health and fitness solutions for realpeople with real lives, and real affinities for eating blocks of cheddar at midnight (like me).

The concept is simple: Eat right and work out. “But I could just do that myself,” you might say. Okay, then why aren’t you doing it? Because it’s much easier said than done.This program takes a seemingly simple concept and provides you with two key tools:1. A portion-controlled eating plan to lose weight.2. Challenging and doable 30-minute workouts to get fit.

The Weight-Loss Eating PlanIt all starts with a set of color-coded containers that tell you how much fruits, veggies, fats, protein, and carbs you should eat every day for your specific daily calorie target.I refuse to count calories, but I’m all about counting colorful containers with food inside of them. And the best thing is that it’s real food that you choose. Hate quinoa and kale? Don’t eat them. The 21 Day Fix program comes with a list of approved foods that will satisfy all palates. (Plus, you can put wine in the yellow containers. Just saying.)

​The Workout PlanThe 30-minute workouts provide the perfect combination of cardio and strength training to build muscle and burn fat in 21-day intervals. Whether you’ve never worked out a day in your life or you live in the gym, these workouts are safe and challenging for all fitness levels.When I started, I could barely do three push-ups on my knees. By the end, I was doing a full minute of traditional push-ups and couldn’t stop flexing my guns in the mirror.

What Is Beachbody On Demand?

It’s exactly what it sounds like: Streaming workouts from your laptop, tablet, TV, or mobile device. Think Netflix, but for fitness and nutrition.Even better, you can get an annual membership for $99.95 (less than $10 a month) that includes access to every single program Beachbody has ever created. You also get access to any new programs, and they’re always coming out with more. That’s 500+ workouts and counting.In just one week, you can do cardio, weight training, yoga, mixed martial arts, dance, tai chi, and a Pilates/yoga combo — all in your living room or wherever you like to work out. That’s $100/month less than it costs for a gym or studio class membership.Pro tip: Not so nimble in the kitchen? You can also stream Autumn Calabrese’s FIXATE cooking show, and learn how to make clean, portion-controlled meals.What Programs Are Right for Me?

Beachbody has a huge library of programs, and if you don’t know which one to do first, there’s “program match” tool that will help you find the one(s) that work for you. Want to build muscle? Try Body Beast or 22 Minute Hard Corps. Prefer to dance off the weight? Work out to CIZE or Country Heat. Just select a category that matches your goal or interests — cardio, muscle building, yoga, low impact, dance, etc. — then pick a program from the list and go!All the workouts are designed by certified fitness pros and all the nutrition programs are created by nutrition experts. Each program can produce dramatic results, but results don’t happen without hard work. Take it one program at a time — this isn’t a race, it’s the start of a healthier lifestyle.

If any of this sounds like something you'd like to start, comment, email, or send me a message on Facebook and I'll get back to you on how to begin your own journey!

If you're making healthy choices for your main meals, don't sabotage snacks with the vending machines or crackers and crap that's convenient!!! This is where sooooo many people blow it. So, because I love the number 5- heres 5 quick snack boxes for you to incorporate this week.